Our View: It's time for U.S. to get things right at home

That principle jumps out as the United States struggles to do something that should be easy: Take care of our military veterans; provide them with the benefits and respect they have earned; and do so proudly.

The situation at Veterans Affairs - caused by bureaucrats and tolerated by Congress and more than one president - is unforgivable. They did not do the right thing for our veterans.

That said, Faithful Readers will recall what follows:

One day - when we are very smart and very fed up and before we become paralyzed by our individual selfishness and shared stupidity - we will do something as America and as Americans.

When that happens, it will change the world forever and for the better.

One day we will act on common sense, on faith in self, country and, yes, in God, and we will act with that special bravery that stokes you inside when you know you are right.

One day we will re-engage the world on new terms, on our terms, on America's terms, and the world will be amazed when that happens.

Indeed, most Americans will be amazed when that happens. Proud, too.

Today is the right day to plant that thought in our minds and our flag in the ground.

After all, today is all we have.

How many of us have done that already, in one way or another?

How many have furrowed our brows and shaken our heads in disbelief, dismay and even disgust when our leaders have followed foolish advice - mush wrapped in the deceitful diplomacy and political expedience that are nothing but transparent?

How often have we watched as that advice has taken us in directions that most Americans knew were wrong from the start?

How often have we knowingly taken "one step forward and two steps back"?

And how long will be it before we do something about that?

We've been here before.

The expectation - here at home and from the rest of the world - is that we, the United States, will try to do what needs to be done to "make things right" - always, and whatever those things may be.

It's a stacked deck, of course. "Always" is a long time, and not everyone likes this game.

But even those who hate it - you know who they are - turn to the United States again and again, often on the sly, and in ways that would stun the American taxpayers if they knew.

It's a twisted bit of life, this business of being the world's caretaker.

Which takes us back to the top:

One day - when we are very smart and very fed up and before we become paralyzed by our individual selfishness and shared stupidity - we will do something as America and as Americans.

When that happens, it will change the world forever and for the better.